More muffins

This week has been pretty busy. We haven't done a lot of cooking but we did make some of those banana muffins yesterday. The new boys we are watching also like to cook and devoured the muffins in no time flat. They could hardly wait for them to cool down. The older boy helped me mix them up while the younger boy and Addy were sleeping. We talked about patterns as he put the muffin liners in the pan. We have three different color liners and he organized them in a pattern.  The younger kids woke up just in time to help with sprinkling some sugar on top.  I cannot emphasize enough how cooking helps kids learn turn taking.  The turns are short (pour once, sprinkle one muffin, scoop once, etc.) and the gratification instant.

Here is another muffin recipe we like. This recipe fills our mini muffin tin once and 2-3 small loaf pans.  I use small loaf pans that hold 1 cup liquid. The small loaves freeze very well and make great hostess gifts or quick snacks if you have an unexpected play date.  Just defrost for a couple of minutes in the microwave and then leave at room temperature for about 15 minutes and they'll be ready to go.  I just stick them in a quart size freezer bag.  This recipe also works well with pumpkin.  Just add a 16 oz. can of pumpkin instead of the zucchini.

This recipe is adapted from Betty Crocker's New Cookbook.

Zucchini Muffins/Bread 

3 cups shredded zucchini (3 medium)

1 2/3 cups sugar

1/3 cup oil

1/3 cup applesauce

2 tsps vanilla

4 eggs

3 cups flour

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

1/2 tsp. baking powder

Preheat oven to 375.

1. Mix zucchini, sugar, oil, applesauce, vanilla and eggs in large bowl. (really use a LARGE bowl, I always start off too small and have to dump it all in a larger bowl to be able to stir without spilling).  Stir in remaining ingredients.  Some people like raisins or chopped nuts in this type of bread, feel free to add these.  

2.  Line mini-muffin pan, grease bottoms only of small loaf pans.  Fill muffin tins and loaf pans about 2/3 full.

I put the mini muffin pan on the top rack and the loaves below.  Set the timer for 12 minutes.  Check the muffins if they are firm to the touch take them out and lower oven temp to 350, reset the timer for 20 minutes. Our muffins are done by 12 minutes, but if they weren't I would leave it at 375 until they were done and subtract that time from the remaining time for the small loaves.